Almost 30 years have passed since bubble tea first took root as a culinary and cultural phenomenon in the U.S., but Americans’ thirst for the cold, milky, tapioca ball-filled drink seems to only have grown more fervent. Cuckoo, a newish Korean-Japanese cafe in Andersonville, has tapped into the boba phenomenon to great effect, supplementing the tasty beverages with a menu of fried chicken sandwiches on cloud-like buns, Korean and Japanese rice bowls, and sides like takoyaki, squid rings, and scallion pancakes.

One of Chicago’s biggest culinary hits of the early pandemic, this virtual pizzeria in February settled into a permanent space in a former Uptown diner. The city’s love affair with Milly’s shows no sign of slowing as owner Robert Maleski is still regularly selling out of his popular deep-dish pies with caramelized cheese baked into the crust. The restaurant, which seats 20, has allowed Maleski to increase the number of pies he can serve. For the time being, he can put out 35 pizzas on a busy night and aims to raise that number to 40.

Jimmy’s Pizza Cafe moved into a larger restaurant space in late February with more big booths, a liquor license, and TVs. Before, the N.Y.-style pizza specialist was primarily a to-go spot. But with the new real estate, owner Jimmy Kang has the room to try new pizza styles and offer new items. New York and Chicago enjoy a strong rivalry, but both cities offer delicious styles of pizza. Jimmy’s will convince the most ardent Chicago homer that New York pizza is worth their time.

For more than a year, Becca Grothe tested out new sandwiches in a Monday pop-up at her employer, Honey Butter Fried Chicken. Now, with the help of Honey Butter’s owners Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp, Grothe has opened up her own shop, serving favorites like Cubanos and horseshoes (both with meat and tofu versions) and crispy cauliflower, plus Tuber’s Donuts, potato doughnuts fried by Grothe’s husband Cam Waron.

This brilliant Logan Square bakery sells some of the best chocolate chip cookies in town. But the savory items, which include Roman-style sheet pizza and specials like an Italian beef croissant, are perfect for a quick lunch. Get there in the morning or risk missing out on the more popular items.

Not many Chicago diners expected a London-style Anglo-Indian pub from the owners of Au Cheval. But after months of quiet, Hogsalt Hospitality opened Armitage Alehouse in Lincoln Park, featuring British-style curries, savory pot pies, and Guinness and Harp at the bar. English pubs are known for being casual, allowing patrons to drop in and out at their leisure, but at the sleek and dark Armitage Alehouse, customers will need luck to grab a reservation.

Chicago’s only Filipino fine-dining experience is the hottest table in town since Kasama began dinner service in November. The Ukrainian Village cafe continues its morning and afternoon hours, but later in the day the operation shuts down to allow staff to prepare to serve chef Tim Flores’s unusual tasting menu. Flores riffs on classic dishes like lumpia and pancit, while offering modern ingredients such as A5 wagyu. Pastry chef and co-owner Genie Kwon serves up halo-halo and more surprises for dessert. Kasama is on Eater’s list of America’s Best New Restaurants and it’s now a Michelin-starred restaurant.

As dining rooms closed during the pandemic, carry-out and delivery reigned. One of the most popular to-go operations came from Henry Cai, a Chicago native inspired by his father’s exploits working at Chinese restaurants, who started selling Chinese-American food via Instagram under the name 3 Little Pigs. The response to his Cantonese cooking, with his signature three-pork fried rice, noodles, and dumplings was tremendous. He’s now found a home in Humboldt Park where he can make food six days a week. The operation will expand once he gets more kitchen equipment and he’ll be able to bring back his delectable smoked ribs and more. Cai hopes to open in a new location with a dining room sometime in 2022.

Alpana Singh, the wine expert who endeared herself to Chicagoans while hosting Check, Please! is back in town with a new restaurant that offers a little bit for everyone. Singh designed the space to reflect her personality — it’s fun and sophisticated without being stuffy. The New American menu is succinct and pairs well with a glass or bottle from Singh’s wine list. 

Contemporary Greek cuisine has steadily grown in popularity in the Chicago area in recent years, transporting familiar Mediterranean flavors and preparations to sleek, Instagram-friendly digs. Lyra, the genre’s latest entrant from prolific restaurant group DineAmic Hospitality, has made a sizable splash with offerings like deconstructed pastisio, grilled octopus, and shrimp saganaki alongside intriguing cocktails featuring complementary ingredients like oregano and dehydrated Greek sugar.

Chefs Patrick Bouaphanh and Andrew Choi originally launched Jinsei Motto as a sushi pop-up inside CH Distillery (the maker of Jeppson’s Malört), and have now settled into a permanent space at the distillery in the West Loop. The menu features a 14-course omakase meal for $140, as well as an a la carte selection of nigiri, sashimi, and maki.

Liang has become a popular quick-serve restaurant in Asia with celebrity endorsers. Tony Hu (Lao Sze Chuan) has brought the concept to Chicago’s Chinatown. These wraps feature a paratha-like flatbread stuffed with chicken, beef, and other fillings. It’s a satisfying quick snack on the go and should be popular with a younger customer base that doesn’t want a traditional sit-down meal.

Doubles, a Trini delicacy, are featured at Cafe Trinidad ToGo, a Grand Crossing restaurant that has returned after a 2016 closure. The island cuisine bears many influences, including African, Syrian, and Indian — all byproducts of colonization and slavery. Powered by a Caribbean version of roti, doubles are filled with chickpeas, potatoes, or goat and lamb curry for a sweeter version than most would expect. Cafe Trinidad’s return gives Chicagoans a delicious option for this vital dish. The Reader’s Mike Sula has more.

This is the rebirth of a family-owned Mexican restaurant in Archer Heights, near Midway International Airport. Solazo’s ownership learned a lot when it opened La Josie along Randolph Restaurant Row in West Loop. Its now applied those lessons to the original restaurant without sacrificing the friendly neighborhood feel that drew patrons in the first place. The tacos, queso, and other items have never tasted better, and now customers can enjoy amped-up cocktails.